Sunday, November 9, 2008

If I haven't mentioned it lately, I am so grateful for The Writer's Almanac for publishing poems as wonderful and stunning as this one. Check your local public radio station to see when it airs, or visit the Web site to hear it.

Lucky

If you are lucky in this life,you will get to help your enemythe way I got to help my motherwhen she was weakened past the point of saying no.

Into the big enamel tubhalf-filled with waterwhich I had made just right,I lowered the childish skeletonshe had become.

Her eyelids fluttered as I soaped and rinsedher belly and her chest,the sorry ruin of her flanksand the frayed gray cloudbetween her legs.

Some nights, sitting by her bedbook open in my lapwhile I listened to the airmove thickly in and out of her dark lungs,my mind filled up with praiseas lush as music,

amazed at the symmetry and luckthat would offer me the chance to paymy heavy debt of punishment and lovewith love and punishment.

And once I held her dripping wetin the uncomfortable airbetween the wheelchair and the tub,and she begged me like a child

to stop,an act of cruelty which we both understoodwas the ancient irresistible rejoicingof power over weakness.

If you are lucky in this life,you will get to raise the spoonof pristine, frosty ice creamto the trusting creature mouthof your old enemy

because the tastebuds at least are not brokenbecause there is a bond between youand sweet is sweet in any language.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

It's been forever — or at least it feels like it. I haven't done much in this space for a while, and I apologize. I will be back soon.

In the meantime, visit a couple of the links you see to your right (under "Cool Links"). There are some fun ones there, like List Universe and Blender's lists. Send me some of your favorite links — I'd love to know what else is out there.